The Payforit Management Group has been considering ways to improve the way that the Payforit Scheme is implemented and to find ways to help merchants and APIs grow their businesses through quicker and easier processes.
As part of this exercise a simplified trials process has been developed which speeds up the time from idea to inception but loses none of the protections required to ensure that customers have a safe and enjoyable journey.
This process has 3 priorities:
1) Embed PhonepayPlus Code 12 and other relevant principles
2) Protect the consumer from harm
3) Reduce the time taken to get a service to trial
The process itself relies on the submission of full documentation prior to an application. The current process of discussing and then documenting will be replaced by a sequence which enables the Payforit Management Group to confirm quickly that the proposal is compliant with PhonepayPlus Code 12 and the Payforit terms as well as ensuring that the due diligence and risk control processes are robust. This sequence involves submission and review of the trial mock-up, screen prints and the trial form. Once these have been cleared the trial information will be published on the Payforit website.
The Payforit Management Group Secretariat will work with APIs to ensure that the documentation is complete and processed in a timely manner by the Payforit Management Group. Early validation by the Secretariat will reduce the number of non-compliant proposals being submitted to the Payforit Management Group.
Many of the issues that cause harm to customers only become obvious during a trial and are evidenced by conversion rates and customer care reports. As long as the preparation for the trial have been aligned to the relevant rules and controls laid out clearly as part of the process, the Payforit Management Group feels that the information can be gathered first before firm submissions are presented for sign off.
Currently the time taken from inception toimplementation for a new service can be far too long. This drag has been instrumental in holding back the growth and development of the Payforit scheme and so by removing barriers to progress the Payforit Management Group is confident that speed can be introduced into the process without compromising either regulatory compliance or customer care. There will be no watering down of the service trial conditions but the way they are addressed and implemented will be changed to reflect the need to move quickly to take advantage of commercial and technological developments.
The Payforit Management Group supports commercial growth in Charge to Mobile and as such has contributed resources to improve the infrastructure around bringing services to market. By automating the sequence within strict guidelines and having an efficient processing service within the Secretariat support structure the Group is confident this will provide a significant improvement in the journey from mind to market.
Please contact secretariat@payforituk.co.uk for the trial process document.
